Chapel Speaker Reminds Faithful to Exude Passion for Christ

Jackie Kendall, well-known author and president of Power to Grow Ministries, can barely stand still, she’s so eager to talk about Christ.

At the start of her chapel speech at Palm Beach Atlantic University on Monday, Kendall said she didn’t come to preach, but instead she is “a woman who has come to share passionately,” she said.

In a fast-paced presentation filled with humor, Kendall talked about her experiences, including being abused as a child and coming from a home where “the Bible is what you used to balance an uneven table.”

She came to know Jesus as a young adult, she said, and she has been passionate about Christ ever since. She said she doesn’t understand Christians who are silent about their faith.

“If you know enough to believe it, you know enough to share it,” said Kendall, who is a popular speaker among professional football and baseball players through Pro Athletes Outreach.

Kendall also spoke about listening to what she calls “the holy nudge.” She said Jesus’ mother Mary is an example of one who obeyed that nudge. Mary was chosen because she said yes, and because she believed the Lord would do what He said, she said.

In Kendall’s own life, she said that God has allowed her to work with professional athletes, and “I know it’s because I believed in the word of the Lord.”

Her travels have taken her to such exclusive places like the owners’ box of the New York Yankees. Also, she and her husband, Ken, have led spring training Bible studies for teams like the Montreal Expos and the Atlanta Braves. “I’ve had so many trips down red carpets,” she said.

She has been married for 37 years, and she and her husband have two adult children. Parenthood has taught her a great deal, she said. Parents are responsible for educating their children, but “our children are here to educate us if we’re humble enough,” she said.

She is the co-author of the best-selling book Lady in Waiting: Becoming God’s Best While Waiting for Mr. Right, which now has been published in 14 languages.

Among her other books are A Man Worth Waiting For: How to Avoid a Bozo; The Mentoring Mom: 11 Ways to Model Christ for Your Child; Say Goodbye to Shame: And 77 Other Stories of Hope and Encouragement; and Free Yourself to Love: The Liberating Power of Forgiveness.

Kendall, who said she never planned to be a writer, said she enjoys working with young women in particular. She plans to lead a women’s Bible study at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays in the DeSantis Family Chapel for members of the PBA community. She hopes to continue the series through the spring semester, she said.